The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-12-26
An Accidental Affair.


River, waiting for the little steamer Arrow
Head, to come TO her moOrlngS
As the minutes went by, the crush grew so
great that few tlmid people considered the
wisdom OF embarling on vessel so sure to be
0yercrowed, and hesitatcd still further when
presently she hove In sight, and her decks
seemed already to be wcll.flled with passen.
gers who had boarded her at her first landing,
lower down stream.
But 1t was Saturday afternoon, and, TO most
Of the eXpectant yoyagcrs, necessity to i'm
prove the last opportunity of the week, having
families or friends at one or other Of the sum
mer resorts dotted along the rivers norlhward
course.
The boat came alongside The gang-plank
was thrown out, and the crowd swarmed over
It in a selfish hurry to secure good places
while the captain and steward stood at the end
resting on the deck, making vain effort to
control the rush.
Oceans of time ladies and gemplemen
Darcs oceans of tim" shouted Diamond, his
black face shining with the exertion to pre-
vent people from treading on one another's
heels.
The last person had passed over the T. t--
porary bridge, and 1t was being pulled In,
when man was seen running down the slip,
and frantically waving his hat TO the officer 10
"IIold on"
The plank was again pushed out, and
lady, also belated, came nying down to the
steamer, in the wake of the man who had sig
nailed the captain; but evidently she was
not Of his party, for he paid no heed to her
eager pursuit Of him.
Draw In when the woman boards, and
don't wait for any more.' And Diamond did
draw in, so suddenly as to precIptate the
lady, now on the boat end of the plank to the
floor, and almost at the feet Of the passenger
who had preceded her, and with sufficient
force to loosen her light hat 1t fell from her
head as she picked herself up instantly not
waiting for the assistance Of the group about
her, and the stylish gray bang she had worn
attached to the bonnet of course fell also and
disclosed Il style of hair dressing as cool and
comfortable as It was unbecomng.
You laundering black fool !" roared Capt.
Sturtevant, rushing to the lady's side. care
YOU hurt, madam in he inquired solicitously.
''Oh, no, no. no, thanks ~ And the dis
committed fair one vanished within the privacy
Of the ladies' cabin.
There she mentally vowed TO remain during
the entire trip; but the intense heat, the cry
ing Of uncomfortable babies, and the general
confusion Of the place, oycrcame her rcsolu-
ton, and she sought the airy upper deck.
81 don't suppose everybody saw me, she
soloqulzcd; aud certainly couldn't help it,
Beside don't believe FIN the only woman on
board who wears false bangs" And probably
she was correct.
Ascending the broad stairs leading to the
upper saloon, she encountered Diamond, who
stepped respectfully aside, but scarcely con
cealed the smile on his generous lips flush
Of annoyance came to the lady's comcly face,
but was instantly succeeded by an answering
smile, for she was quick to see the absurd
side of her own misadventure, aud had jour
neyed up and down, under Diamonds care,
too many seasons TO believe him Intentionally
insolent.
Passing down the long saloon, she came to
the breezy deck, only to find every camp chair
and stool occupied
She would have to stay indoor, after all, she
concluded and turned away, to meet, face to
face, that other dilatory passenger, who had
witnessed her notifying accident
lie rose from the comfort able chair he had
been enjoying, just inside the cabin door,
where one had all the benefit and none Of the
exposure OF the deck.
Take this chair, mad-ktch kitch kitch
ktch--rrr ~
The Intentionally police request ended in
sueeze. Now there are sneezes; from the
mild, little dttenish ln to that sound
which startles hearers soul, and rouxes
his anger against the perpetrator OF the out
rage The one recorded here was Of this
last prodiglous sort II frightened the ada
cent passengers, II electrified the LADY to whom
It seemed to be addressed, and IL resulted
most dlsastrausly to the sneczcr himself
With the final convulsion of his facial muscles
the poor gentleman's mouth flew open, aud
his false teeth flew out In all their golden
ghsstlness they struck the carpet at the hem
OF the ladies gown.
'''Measure for measure. Now we are more
than quits" thought she; but with the in.
stinctive decacy of her class she controlled
the expression Of her face, and showed no
sign that she was conscious of aught but the
courtesy rendered in the matter of the chair,
into which she gracefully sank.
She lifted her eyes, at last, from prolonged
adjustment of her draperies, but the victim of
the misadventure had vanished.
The sail up the river progressed. The won
derful Palisades were passed, and the steamer
entered the Highlands. Ere long came the
barbarous sound Of gong supplemented BY
Diamonds stentorlan cry,-
"Cozzenses Landingl Forward gang-wsy
for Cozzensesl'
Passengers thinned out, as stop after stop
was made and by the time the boat reached
the pleasant little hamlet Of Paradise Point,